Where do clothes come from?

Our clothes are produced by lots of people, from farmers to fashion designers and factory workers. They are made from long strands of material called fibres. Natural fibres such as cotton and wool come from plants and animals, while many artificial fibres such as polyester are made from crude oil! Let’s look at a pair of jeans.

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Did you know?

Did you know that it takes about 11,000 litres of water (about 78 full bathtubs) to make one single pair of jeans?

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Cotton

Cotton

Denim is made from the fibres of cotton plants, which are grown on large plantations in warm countries.

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Factory

Factory

The fibres are extracted and twisted into long threads and then weaved into fabric.

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Jeans

Jeans

The fabric is cut and sewn into pairs of jeans.

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Land Fill

Land Fill

Old jeans often end up in landfill sites, along with millions of tonnes of other clothes and textiles.